Powdered-coal feeder



W. M. THOMAS May 15. 1928.

POWDERED C OAL FEEDER Filed March 24. 1926 3 SheetsSheet 1 May 15. 1928.

W. M. THOMAS POWDERED COAL FEEDER may 1 w. NIH 4l M a r w Qw w m Y N mm m X w v; 4 (F 1 w A .wlfi @M Q ,WN @m m T N E V N H r'roFeNEv.

May 15, 1928. v 1,669,635

' w. M. THOMAS POWDERED COAL FEEDER Filed March 24. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 15, 1928.

UNITED. STATES wiLLIAM n. THOMAS, or omoInNATI, onto.

POWDERED-COAL FEEDER.

Application filed. March 24, 1926. Serial No. 96,978

The object of my invention is to produce a simple, highly efficient and uniform feeding device for delivering powdered coal to.

a burner, furnace or other fuel consuming element. v

One of the objects of my invention is to feed the powdered coal in less or greater volume, as needed by the consumer or fuel burning element.

Another feature of my invention enables me to 'feed the powdered coal of uniform density andquality, free from any eXtrane one material or matter, inasmuch as I screen all the coal before it is fed to the-consuming flame. p

Another feature of the invention enables me to use the powdered coal with or without the mixture of air.

One of the salient features of my invention consists in theeinploy nent of a set of conveyors and a brush element, generally in horizontal adjustment operating in connection' with or without a source of air and in connection with a blower element for sucking out the powdered coal and'blowing it to a point where it is to be consumed.

Another feature consistsin operating the conveyor-and brush in a tube like element, the upper half of which is of a screen form, through which the powdered coal is sifted and brushed off by therevolving'brush element. i

Other objects and features of the inven tion will become apparent from reading the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming.

part of this specification:

Fig. 1, is a view in elevation of one end ofmy powdered coal delivering device or apparatus, partly in section and partly broken away, 1

Fig. 2, is a plan viewof the same,

Fig. 3, is a longitudinal section of same, parts broken away and parts in elevation,

Fig. 4, is a sectional view taken on the line 1- 1 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5, is a*'soctional view, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, taken on line (S -6, of Fig. 3, however being an enlarged view,

Fig. 7, is a longitudinal section of the coupling joint between the motor and the device itself,

Fig. 8, is an end view ofthe parts shown in Fig. "I, partly in section,

.suitable or. approved form.

Fig. '9 is a sectional view, taken on the line 9,9"of Fig. 3,and

Fig. 10, is a view in elevation of the draft door, taken fromline 10-10 of Fig. 3.

In carrying out my invention, 1' provide a body portion 1, supported-on legs 2, and having an upper receptacle 3, in which the powdered coal or coal dust is contained. The body land the receptacle 3 may be supported. and connected together in any Thebody part 1 isformed into a hopper having. inclined surfraces 4. In the body part 1 provide conveyors5, supported upon a shaft 6, said shaft being square and its ends fit into square hubs7, of the conveyors 5. Said conveyors are of a screw shaped type but may be of any form.

One end of shaft 6 is mounted in a blower 8 and said blower is rigidly attached to the side 9 of the bodypart 1. This blower is of any of the ordinary styles and need not. be here described, as same is well known in theart. An openinglO is provided in the side 9, to allow the powderedcoal or dust to be. drawn therethrough by the blower 8,

era-tor to remove-the motor without displacing any parts of the apparatus. It will be noticed thattheshaftfi, at the end joint de scribed, is mountedin a sleeve 18 having a thrust collarlt), 'aga'instwhich one of the conveyors 5-abuts, (see Fig. 3). The sleeve 18 forms an inner race for a ball bearing, having the outer race 20. This sleeve and bearing are mounted in a plate 21, which is securely fastened to the side 22 of the body 1.. i

which air is admitted, after said air has suitably passed through openings 24 of the plate 21.

On the outeredge 26 of the plate 21 I mount shutter 25. The shutter regulates the amount of air admitted through the opening 23 by' tnrning the shutter 25-either to r or toward an open "or to a'closed position, by

The side 22 has an opening 23 through 7 holes 28 to coincide with the holes 24 in the plate 21. I y i Centrally located on shaft 6,.between the.

inside of atubexoncylinder, formed of a upper portion or half tube 34, this upper half tube being smaller, and formed of a wire netting or screenniesh as shownin Fig. 4. The upper half is secured to the lower half at points 35, the upper half being thus supported, the lower half hein supported on thebearing's 36, (see Fig. 3).

These two halves forina space or home in which the conveyors 5 and brush 29 operate,

and are usually the entire length of the inside of the hopper and body portion 1 of the apparatus. i 1 I i Incarrying out my invention 1 further provide shutters 37; mounted in the guides.

38, which inturn are secured to the si'des9 and 22 of body part-1. These shutters are operated by the segment gears 39 mounted at each endiof the said shutters 37 these segment gears mesh with the gears 40, which are mounted on the shafts 41, which shafts are journaled at one end in the side plates 21 and at their oppositeends are journaled in-the sides 9 of thebody 1. i

shutters 37. are adjusted as heretofore de- At the motor end of the shafts 41, I mount a knurled adjusting knob 42, which when turned revolvesthe gears 40, thereby caus-I ing the shutters 37 to beadjusted to allow more orless powdered coalto enter through the opening .43 formed by thesaid shutters.

On part 3 of thetop,I provide an opening It, through which opening I provide a wire screen by usinga' pouch or receptacle 4.5,which has a reinforcement ring 47 at its upper extremity, which ring is held in place by the ring -16 ofpart A cover 48 is used to close and cover the opening 44 and the re: ceptacle45. i i

In order to keep the powdered coal from packing around the operating parts, I connect a deflector 51, to the sides 9 and 22 to allow freedom of action oflthe shutters 37 in theguides 38. i

The device operates as follows; the powdered coal or coal dust is passed through the receptacle or strainer 45 and fills up the body 1. In order to allow varying amounts of this powdered coal dustto be used, the

scribe-d; this allows the proper and desired aniountof coal dust to pass through the opening 33 of the shutters 37, and then it is taneously; the conveyor 5 at the motor end of the apparatusdrawing in the air to be mixed with the powdered coal and the conveyor 5, at the other end conveying thepowdered coal to thevblower 8, which now vis creating a-vacuum or suction drawing the;

coal dust into itself and emitting it with it is not so closeto the lowerhalf tube 33.

force out of opening 50 to the burner or fire.

It will be seen and understood that the .brushpbrushing and-impingin against the screen 34 also keeps the powde coal dust in a state of agitation. When'in operation a draft is present in the space 49 its entire extent. i

While I show a preferred formof my in vention, I may modify and change the, same without departing from the spirit and principle of the invention and I claimianysuch modifications which fall withinthescope of the appended claims. T

red coal or.

What I claim as new and my invention,

and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: j

1. Anapparatus for feeding pulverized fuel, comprising a hopper having aligned openings in its opposite walls, a tube in the hopper including a perforated segment and an iinperforate segment, a conveyor rotatably mounted in the tube and including a brush forsweeping powdered fuel from the perforated portion of the tube, meansfor drawing air through said openings and said tube, and means in the hopper. for regulat ing the fuel fed to the perforated portion of saidtube. i y i v i v 2. In anapparatus for feeding powdered fuel, a hopper, ahollow perforatedltube at the outlet of said hopper, a rotatable spiral conveyor in the tube provided with :rbrush contacting with the perforated portion of the tube for brushing fuel from the latter,

and means for causing. a, draft of air I through said tube for mixing. the air with the fuel fed by the conveyor. I

3. In an apparatus for feeding powdered fuel, a hopper, a hollowperforatedtube at;

p the outlet of said hopper, slidable shutters arranged in the hopper exteriorly of; the tube, and adapted to move toward. and away from each other, means for actuating {said I shutters, a. rotatable spiral conveyor in the tube, andmeansfor causing a draftof air through said, tube for mixing the air-with the fuel fed by the conveyor.

4. In anapparatus forfeeding powdered.

fuel, a hopper, a hollow perforated tube at the outlet of said hopper, curved shutters slidably mounted in the hopper and movable toward and away from each other for regulating the fuel fed to the perforated portion of the tube, gearing for actuating said shut-- ters, means for operating the gearing from the exterior of the hopper, a conveyor in the tube, and means for causing a draft of air through said tube for mixing the air with the fuel fed by the conveyor.

5. In an apparatus for feeding powdered fuel, a hopper, a hollow perforated tube at the outlet end of said hopper, a rotatable shaft arranged in the tube, a spiral brush and a spiral screw arranged on the shaft, and forming a conveyor, means for rigidly connecting the screw and brush to said shaft,

and means for causing a draft of air through the tube for mlxing the air with the fuel fed by the conveyor.

6. In an apparatus for feeding powdered fuel, a hopper, a hollow perforated tube at the outlet of said hopper, a rotatable spiral conveyor in the tube, means for causing a draft of air through said tube for mixlng the air with the fuel fed by the conveyor,

. means for admitting air to one end of said I WVILLIAM M. THOMAS. 

